1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of molding confectionery-filled chocolate products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Molded chocolates having a center-fill material can be conventionally made using a specialized depositor known in the art as a “one-shot” depositor, which simultaneously deposits chocolate and one or more center-fill materials into individual mold cavities in a mold tray. The exposed surface of the chocolate not directly contacting the mold cavity becomes the bottom of the finished product. After the chocolate and the one or more fill materials are deposited, the molding trays are vibrated to ensure that the co-deposited materials fill the mold cavity and the exposed surface is even. Thereafter, the mold trays are transported through a cooling tunnel where they set and harden to form finished confectionery pieces, which are then removed from the tray and packaged. One-shot depositing has advantages over traditional shell molding because it is more cost effective.
Defects known to occur in connection with such codeposited (i.e., one-shot deposited) molded products include macrobubbles, microbubbles (or pinholes), bottom surface imperfections such as craters and protrusions, and leakage of the center-filling. Any of these defects appearing on a chocolate piece may constitute sufficient reason to reject a piece of confectionery in quality control.
Based upon observations of the inventors herein, defects such as macrobubbles, microbubbles and craters can generally be attributed to air in the chocolate. Macrobubbles have relatively larger size, on the order of about 1.5 mm to about 2 mm in diameter or larger, and may be caused by air being forced upward toward the exposed surface when the mold tray is vibrated. When a macrobubble pops, a surface irregularity known as a “crater” may form on the bottom surface of the product. On the other hand, pinholes typically remain at the interface of the mold and the chocolate, disfiguring the “top” surface of the product. Pinholes are smaller than macrobubbles, but nevertheless visible. Conventionally, the problem of surface irregularities in one-shot molded products has been addressed by vibrating the mold tray to settle the components into the mold cavities.
However, vibrating the trays causes other problems, as the center-fill materials make their way toward the surface of the mold cavity or toward the exposed surface of the chocolate, in some cases through the chocolate, resulting in an insufficient shell thickness, or outright leakage of center material through the chocolate. Based on observations by the inventors herein, the problem of leakage appears to be particularly acute where there is a differential in density between the center-fill material and the chocolate. Generally, the lower the yield value of the chocolate, the greater the likelihood of leakage, since it is easier for the center-fill material to move.
There has been a longstanding consumer interest in chocolate and caramel combinations. Recently, the demand for dark chocolate products has been on the rise. Accordingly, the demand for products incorporating caramel, creme, truffle and mousse (aerated) fillings in a dark chocolate shell has also been on the rise. However, it has not heretofore been possible, or at least not the practice in the art, to utilize a one-shot depositor to manufacture a dark chocolate confectionery with a caramel or other center-fill material. This may be due to difficulties arising from the relative density of dark chocolate and center-fill materials mentioned above, as well as the yield value of dark chocolate being lower as compared to milk chocolate.
Thus, there continues to be a need in the art for methods and apparatus for molding center-filled chocolate confectionery products utilizing a one-shot depositor which avoid the appearance of defects in the finished products. In particular, there is a need for methods and apparatus that will allow for efficient one-shot manufacture of center-filled dark chocolate confectionery products, such as caramel-filled dark chocolate.